2019 Kentucky Derby frontrunner Omaha Beach has reportedly been scratched from due to breathing problems on Wednesday night.
According to an announcement made on the Churchill Downs PR Twitter account, the horse developed a cough which was concerning. The announcement also cited the cause as being due to an “entrapped epiglottis.”
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Ultimately, as Sports Line notes, this will have a big impact on how sports betting organizations and participants choose their hopeful winners.
Breaking: morning line favorite Omaha Beach to scratch from @KentuckyDerby, according to trainer Richard Mandella. Colt to miss race with entrapped epiglottis. Was discovered after cough and scope. More to come. Mandella will meet with media at Barn 28 at 8 a.m. Thursday,
— Churchill Downs PR (@DerbyMedia) May 1, 2019
In a subsequent tweet, the Churchill Downs PR explained that the Epiglottis is “A triangular-shaped cartilage that lies at the base of the airway just in front of the arytenoid cartilages which cover the airway during swallowing. It is normally located above (dorsal) the soft palate.”
A subsequent press release from Churchill Downs quoted Omaha Beach’s trainer Richard Mandella as saying, “After training this morning we noticed him cough a few times. It caused us to scope him and we found an entrapped epiglottis.”
The morning line favorite in the @KentuckyDerby has been scratched three times in the last decade: Omaha Beach (5-1 in 2019), Uncle Mo (9-2 in 2012) and I Want Revenge (3-1 in 2010).
— Churchill Downs PR (@DerbyMedia) May 1, 2019
“We can’t fix it this week so we’ll have to have a procedure done in a few days and probably be out of training for three weeks. We’ll have to figure out a whole new game plan,” Mandella added.
The press release finally added, “With the scratch of Omaha Beach, Bodexpress will draw into the field and break from post position 20. All horses outside of Omaha Beach (post positions 13-20) will move over one position in the starting gate.”
Revised @KentuckyDerby morning line odds from @ChurchillDowns oddsmaker Mike Battaglia when Omaha Beach is officially scratched with KHRC stewards. Battaglia: “If Baffert ran as an entry, he’d be a 7-5 favorite to win his sixth Kentucky Derby.” pic.twitter.com/bPepoQTXtm
— Churchill Downs PR (@DerbyMedia) May 1, 2019
Notably, Sports Line points out that with Omaha Beach now scratched, there are five other horses sitting at 8-1 odds — or less — to win the Run for the Roses.
They also note that horse racing insider Jody Demling, who is often considered the authority on picking winners, has some interesting opinions. Not the least of which is that he doesn’t even put Roadster, a horse who has 5-1 odds, in his top five.
The 2019 Kentucky Derby will be held at 5:50 p.m. CT on Saturday, May 4.
